Nabil is correct. Western nations and other majority Christian countries such as the Phillippines and even those with sizeable minorities like Nigeria need to declare themselves as Christian and form the equivalent of the Organisation of Islamic Conference to specifically look after the rights of Christians worldwide and to put a stop to anti-Christian persecution particularly in the Middle East, Africa, and Indonesia.

It is a great pity that the EU did not declare its Christian character when it had the chance at the Pope's urging.

Going forward as someone pointed out when discussing the current Archbishop of Canterbury's latest pontifications on Sharia; ".....Jesus Christ may have been a pacifist but he was no coward".

Tony , Worthing , UK

Division will always be a weak point to Christianity and Christians. We need a global organisation that unite all Christians and speak on their behalf, while seriously attempting to bring the different churches closer and unify such matters as the dates of their holy occasions, which is a matter modern science can easily determine.

Nabil Christian, Cairo, Egypt

Jim, sydney, cleric 'Abu Bakar Bashir' is an extremist. Extremists will obviously have extreme views. There are also Jewish, Christian and Hindu extremists, and if you search google for their views, you'd be just as shocked. I will post quotes, you could easly google them. It's not just Islam.

"Jewish rabbi calls for extermination of all Palestinian males" -- Extremist rabbi Yousef Falay

"Jews should refrain from employing any non-jews" -- Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky

( http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/125573 )

"We should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity..." -- Ann Coulter

"Allah as a 'demon spirit' and urges war between Islam and Christian civilisation". There is no difference between violent Islamist extremists and moderate Muslims, he argues" -- Reverend Rod Parsley

( http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article3548250.ece )

There are hundreds...just google 'em

Mohammed, London, UK

Perhaps a comment from Mohammed on this? Is there anything in Islam that supports the following view?
In a recent sermon, organised by an Islamic youth organisation and delivered a few kilometres from the home village of convicted Bali bombers Amrozi and Mukhlas, Islamic cleric Abu Bakar Bashir likened tourists in Bali to "worms, snakes, maggots", and specifically referred to the immorality of Australian infidels. The address was caught on video by an Australian university student.

"The youth movement here must aspire to a martyrdom death," said the cleric, who was convicted of conspiracy over the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people, including 88 Australians, but was later cleared and released from prison.
"The young must be first at the front line - don't hide at the back. You must be at the front, die as martyrs and all your sins will be forgiven. This is how to achieve forgiveness." "If there were infidels here, just beat them up. Do not tolerate them."

jim, sydney,

Mr.Mohammed would do well to remember that the U.K would never lock him up for being a practicing Muslim (provided he is non violent), while being a practicing Christian in Saudi or most muslim countries can get someone in all kinds of trouble from the government (ever heard of the Mutaween?)

gabe, dublin, ireland

Oh, for the day when we read the headline: 'Muslims risk Pope's anger for [...]"

Mara MacSeoinin, Cambridge,

I have just read an interesting article today (22 march 2008) here on timesonline which is a very good rebuttal to Gabe, Dublin, from Ireland's comment. Please read it:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/graham_stewart/article3599085.ece

"Despite the constitutional separation of Church and State, the one category of American that seems ruled out for the White House is not black or female, but atheist."

Mohammed, London, UK

"Jesus is either a lunatic, or he is God. As C.S. Lewis pointed out, one cannot simply accept Jesus as a "great teacher.""
The Jesus we read about in the OT is likely a composite character including a person who lived called Jesus, but with additions from others who told or wrote the story of a deified Jesus. Where the truth lies in it all is conjecture. However, any actual Jesus would have been a human with all the foibles humanity bestows, influenced by his genes (and no-one knows where half came from), his upbringing, education, community, etc. He could still have been mistaken if he "read the signs" as implying he was more that he in fact was. We will never know how much of the gospel stories is fact and how much subsequent embellishment. He could easily have been only human and not mad.

Anger in the temple, for whatever the reason happened to be (and we do not know the full details), does not mean Jesus would support killing in self defense, or as a first strike if deemed necessary to avoid a perceived attack, or in war in general. So why do the Church and Christians in general support the concept of justified killing?

jim, sydney,

Thanks for your comment, Aaron. But if you read my comment, carefully this time, you'll notice I didn't say that "Thou shalt not kill" were the words of Jesus. That is a very silly mistake of yours.
The very essence of Jesus' teachings (if we are to believe the Sermon on the Mount) is the revolutionary idea that you don't reply to violence with further violence. No, you love your enemies and turn the other cheek. Jesus didn't kill anyone.
If you water down Jesus' words, you are doing him a disservice. And, what's more, you are twisting his teachings to suit your own purpose, because you are unable or - more likely - unwilling to live up to his high moral standards.
I say this as an - educated - atheist.
If you don't believe me, try reading Victor Gollancz for example.

alan, germany,

Its a moot point to say that there is no Organisation of Christian countries while there is an Organisation of Islamic countries. If European nations were under threat or in a very fragile state, they would very much entrench their christendom.

The organisation of Islamic countries is a way of defining the group of nations that is not confined to just a continent and that has no stable socio-political base but the Islamic charitable and humanitarian values which bind them. The European union which has very Christian goals behind its unification of Europe.

Muslim rebels view Christian pastors as agents of the state architecture in their countries. An unfortunate consequence of the state apparatus operating on organised western principles.

Goolam Dawood, Johannesburg, South Africa

Alan, you clearly do not know the teachings of Jesus. Jesus never said that. That was one of the 10 commandments, from the Old Testament, given to Moses.

You can be an atheist, just be an educated one. Otherwise, you can make these silly, public mistakes.

In the same way that the West does not understand Islam's tie to the state, the Islamic nations do not understand that the government of the West is not related to Christianity.

Jesus turned the other cheek. Jesus also turned over the tables of the merchants who turned the house of God into a place to rob people of money.

Please don't apply your presuppositions to Jesus, or simply read other people's presuppositions. Read his own words for yourself.

Jesus is either a lunatic, or he is God. As C.S. Lewis pointed out, one cannot simply accept Jesus as a "great teacher." He walked around proclaiming to be God. Either he was who he said was, or he was insane.

Aaron, Swansea, Wales, UK

Then why do western countries always vote for devout religious people for thier leaders? (bush/blair...)

Mohammed, London, UK

As usual Muslims cannot comprehend that the concept of separation of Church and State. The Church does not run the British Government nor the American Government. In fact, there is no 'organization of Christian Countries' unlike the OIC (org. of Islamic countries)

Gabe, Dublin, Ireland

As an atheist, I have to agree with Mohammed. But tell me, do the faithful of any religion actually practice the morals that it preaches?
Why, for example, doesn't the Pope forbid catholics from killing? Well he doesn't, does he? But isn't that what Jesus preached? Thou shalt not kill.
(Now wait for the apologists - with their "just" wars!
Well, wars may be justified, but did Jesus say his followers should man machine-guns or drive tanks or drop bombs on civilians? I think not.)
So, Christians, how about turning the other cheek - I mean, just for once?

alan, gemany,

"Are Christians too busy turning the other cheek?"

No sir, they are using their military might, as we speak. Unleashing lazer guided missiles, cluster bombs and sub-machine guns in two Muslims countries. Killing hundreds of thousands, displacing millions whilst at the same time totally destroying their countries infrastructure.

Mohammed, London, UK